context: Recognising hydrogen’s potential benefit for China’s low-carbon transformation, Beijing has been working on a plan for the industry for quite some time. This much anticipated 15-year plan, a first for hydrogen, was finally released. What stands out is NDRC's emphasis on 'orderly development' and no overinvestment.
Setting out the roadmap for the development of the hydrogen energy industry until 2035, NDRC (National Development and Reform Commission) and NEA (National Energy Administration) jointly issued the ‘Hydrogen energy industry medium and long term development plan (2021-35)’ on 23 Mar 2022. The plan defines hydrogen’s strategic status as a key component of China’s future energy mix, an instrument for the green low-carbon transformation, and a key direction for strategic emerging industries. The development targets outlined in the plan include
- by 2025
- establish a relatively complete policy environment for hydrogen industry development, initial supply chains and industrial systems
- reach 50,000 in hydrogen fuel cell vehicle ownership
- produce 100,000-200,000 tonnes of hydrogen per year from renewable energy, and reduce CO2 emissions by 1-2 million tonnes per year
- by 2030
- establish a relatively complete technological innovation system for the hydrogen industry
- establish a clean energy hydrogen production and supply system
- by 2035
- establish a hydrogen energy industrial system
- establish a diversified hydrogen energy application ecosystem covering transport, energy storage, industry and other fields
The plan also highlights the following implementation priorities
- establish an innovation system for high-quality development
- advance key technologies
- build support platforms for industry innovation
- build a talented team on hydrogen energy
- conduct international collaboration
- advance hydrogen infrastructure construction
- reasonable spatial planning (including launching demonstration projects in regions rich in renewable energy)
- construct systems for energy storage and transportation
- plan the network for hydrogen refuelling
- promote diversified demonstration of hydrogen applications in
- public transport
- storage
- power generation industries
- substitution for fossil fuel in industrial production
- improve relevant development policies and institutional guarantee mechanisms
- policy systems
- industry standards
- full process safety supervision